When Twilight Falls
by Jam Jones
Summary: Rini's children are faced them the fight of a lifetime. When Crystal Tokyo is attacked and the people slaughtered, they must stand up for themselves while one attempts to go back in time. Will they survive this cold-blooded invasion of their home?
1. Strength Divided

**I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING SAILOR MOON-LIKE BUT MY OWN PEOPLE! I just really wanted to mess with the so-called peace :)**

**Sinerely Smiling,**

**Jam Jones**

* * *

><p>"Snow…?" Twilight leaned against the terrace doors of the palace, watching the snowflakes as they rested on the stone ledge outside. "Isn't it summer?"<p>

Teresa, who had been reading comfortably in front of the garden-side windows, looked up as the window that had been giving her just the perfect amount of sunlight was cut off by thick, black clouds that swarmed across the sky. Closing her book, she looked to Twilight. Teresa's younger sister was already hard at work, sprinting down the hallway towards the foyer. Without even a thought, the middle-family daughter had already thought of the two younger girls of the group. Teresa sat up and looked out to Juliet and Dylan, fencing outside, who had yet to even notice the change in the weather.

_This is bad, _she thought. _This can't be happening. Not now._

* * *

><p>On the floor in the middle of the foyer, Miki and Tiffany sat playing with their delicate dolls. An uncomfortable shadow then began to cross their view, making them look up in surprise. They watched as the beautiful stain-glass windows that let in a rainbow of light suddenly choked off, leaving the room darker and grim-looking. Both got up off the carpet and sprinted down the hall. Twilight met them halfway, with open arms.<p>

"Hey!" she said. "Don't worry, it's fine. It's going to be fine. Let's go back to the living room, okay?"

* * *

><p>Juliet and Dylan, the two oldest of the group, looked up, startled. They lowered their fencing swords in shock as they watched in amazement as their once-fair weathered sky clouded in seconds. Looking to one another, they nodded sternly and ran for the house, still holding their swords.<p>

* * *

><p>"This is incredible," Rini said aloud. "A blizzard blew over Crystal Tokyo in a matter of seconds—how is this possible?"<p>

"Should we call your mother?" Helios asked.

Rini threw him a dirty look.

"Right," Helios said. "You're queen now. Your problem."

She smiled. "I'm so glad you see things my way."

Helios sighed and looked back out to the eye of the storm, which was making its way suspiciously through the main part of the city, towards the city. It seemed to have purpose, a mission—not a regular storm.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"_We_ aren't going to do anything."

Helios looked up in surprise. "So we _are_ going to call your mother this time?"

"Please," Rini snorted. "We go through a few of these a lifetime. Good triumphs over evil, the whole nine yards—but have you _ever_ seen the parents do the dirty work?" She waited, and his lack of answer seemed to encourage her to go on. "My mother's mother was useless to defend the Moon Kingdom, my mother was useless to defend Crystal Tokyo, and now, I assume the same stupid thing will happen to me."

Helios threw his head back and groaned. "Rini, dear, I'm not sure I'm following."

Walking across the foyer, Rini dusted off his armchair and sat in his lap, curling her arms around his neck. "Honey, these world crisis things are like a coming-of-age ceremony for my family." She leaned in so their lips were mere inches apart. "Which means you and I will get screwed over somewhere along the way."

He looked right into her oddly-colored red eyes. "But you have some sort of way to cheat getting screwed over?"

"Of course I do," she rested her head on his shoulder. "We disappear. Leave them alone. Let them panic. They'll be left to combine forces and save the world, showing the true strength of our blood and powers on Earth."

Helios was silent. He closed his eyes and rested against Rini's cheek, trying to think. Rini was just as batty as her mother with older age, but she had a point. Their family did tend to screw one another over. If they escaped while they had a chance—things might go better in the future.

"Where did you have in mind?"

* * *

><p>Juliet threw open the terrace doors. "Is everyone alright?"<p>

The four other girls were seated on the couch, Miki and Tiffany in Teresa's arms, with Twilight on the end of the couch. While the three girls huddled together looked panicked, Twilight looked bored and kind of annoyed.

"Juliet, can I go out and play in the snow?" she asked. "Teresa says we shouldn't go outside, but that's _bullshit_. There's _snow_ out there! We should be making a gigantic snowman!"

Reaching just far enough out to touch Twilight, Teresa let her hand jerk back and fly against the back of Twilight's head. There was a loud FWAP! and a few more swear words from the middle child.

"I smacked you because you swore!" Teresa scolded. "So you should probably stop!"

"Don't be stupid, Teresa," Twilight said. "I'm old enough to decide whether I want to swear or not. Don't treat me like a baby anymore."

"Who was it that just asked if she could go make a snowman?" Dylan whispered to Juliet.

In Teresa's arms, Miki began to whimper. "Where's Mommy and Daddy? The power went out, and the house is all cold! Why aren't they here?"

Juliet's eyes lit up. Careful not to scare the younger children, she nodded to Dylan. His eyes brightened as an understanding went between the two. Nodding his head, Dylan walked over to pick Miki up out of his twin's arms.

"I'm sure they're fine. Juliet will go up and check on them, while we stay down here and stay warm."

Miki snuggled further down into his arms, but didn't say a word of protest.

However, Twilight wasn't nearly as easy-going.

"Juliet? Why Juliet?" She demanded. "I want to go! Why am I always left out? Let me come!"

Teresa sighed. "Twilight, we should just stay together—"

"No, it's fine," Juliet ruffled Twilight's brown hair, careful not to touch the pink streak that ran through her sister's bangs. "You can come—just…be quiet, okay?"

Twilight huffed. "I'm _always _quiet, Juliet."

Juliet cocked an eyebrow. "Do you want to come or not?"

Sensing Juliet was serious, Twilight mimicked locking her lips. With a nod, Juliet started up the stairs. Twilight followed. None of the other children made a sound as they wound up the spiral staircase all the way to the top of the palace, where there father's tower-study overlooked the whole kingdom.

* * *

><p>As they approached the door to the study, Juliet couldn't help but notice how quiet it was. Chills ran up her arms and back, but she didn't dare say a word. Next to her, Twilight was more then confident—she even looked annoyed at the silence.<p>

"The light's still on," Twilight complained as they got closer. "I'm sure they're just watching it, wondering why it's snowing. Like us. You're overreacting, Juliet."

"Just…be quiet, okay?"

Zipping her lips, Twilight fell behind a few steps. Juliet reached the door first, and, as gently as she could, eased the half-ajar door open a little further.

Sure enough, the light was still on. There was the desk in the center of the room, papers scattered across the surface and all over the floor. The bookcases stood neatly at attention. Nothing looked disturbed. Not even the window, or the two chairs positioned side-by-side behind the desk, overlooking the snowing city of Crystal Tokyo.

The room was empty.

"They're not there." Juliet gasped.

Twilight's eyes went wide. "What?"

"They're not…_there_."

Twilight pushed past her, into the study. She began to look for the same evidence Juliet had. There was no struggle signs. Nothing was missing.

Nothing but their parents.

"Where do you think they went?" Twilight asked.

There wasn't even a crack to her voice. Juliet felt like her whole world was flipped upside down, and Twilight was as calm as before.

"I…don't know."

Twilight laughed. "That's a first."

* * *

><p>Dylan watched as the girls reappeared. Two sets of footsteps, no voices, and no clues to what had been found. His heart sank in his chest.<p>

"You're squeezing me," Miki complained gently.

"Oops," he lightened his grip. "Sorry, Miki."

From the couch, Teresa lightly touched his arm. He looked down at her worried expression and managed a small smile. Tiffany had managed to fall asleep in her arms.

"Are you cold?" he asked Teresa.

"No," Teresa shook her head. She wasn't. She was terrified. Dylan could clearly see it in her eyes. Normally, they wouldn't be as frightened at this—but Dylan felt it, too. A disturbance in the air, as if something completely horrible were about to happen. "What should we do?"

"Mom and Dad must have been called away," Juliet said. "Neither of them are upstairs."

Dylan jerked to look at them, making Miki yelp slightly in his arms. "_Both_ of them?" he asked.

"For the King _and_ the Queen to be called away…is it something so serious?" Teresa wondered aloud.

Miki began to cry. "Mommy and Daddy are gone?"

"Don't be such a baby, Miki," Twilight walked over and flicked her forehead gently. "I'm sure they're taking care of this funky weather. Maybe it's nothing, so they didn't feel the need to tell us."

At that, Miki softened. The three older children sighed in relief, thankful for Twilight's quick at-ease answer.

"So what should we do while they're gone?" Teresa asked.

"We all have our weapons on us, right?" Juliet motioned to her heart-shaped necklace around her neck. The rest of the children nodded. "We'll stay in groups of two, to stay safe, and go inspect the damage outside. Teresa, you stay here with Tiffany."

Teresa nodded. "Okay."

Dylan put Miki down on the floor and she held her spade-shaped pendant in the ball of her fist. "Can you handle an older-kid mission, Meek?" The small girl nodded, wiping at her eyes. Dylan smiled. "Good. You can stay with me."

Juliet looked at Twilight. "You and I can go down Main Street to see if anyone's in any serious trouble."

"Actually," Twilight looked at Teresa. "I was thinking…Teresa's weapon…isn't really a weapon. It's the time key. If she and Tiff were to get into any trouble…how would they defend themselves?"

Juliet silently cursed herself for not thinking of that. Her whole head was in shambles, trying to think straight. Twilight was completely normal, as if this were nothing. Her thinking was clearer, more precise, and better. She was defiantly needed more here then out on Main Street.

"Will you be okay alone?" Twilight asked.

"I…" Juliet looked at Dylan, who shook his head. "I'll go with Dylan and Miki. We'll all go down Main Street. Nobody should be alone."

Twilight nodded. "Good luck."

Her courage startled Juliet. When had loud-mouthed, annoying, pig-headed Twilight grown up? Even now, she was so much more…ready for this then the rest of them. Teresa had to comfort Tiffany, which put her mind in the right place but not ready for action. Dylan had the same worries about Miki, to keep him on the ground. Juliet had _all _of them…which made her an absolute mess.

Where Twilight's worries any different? She wasn't arranged to any one person—she was still the same smug brat she'd been a few minutes ago when she'd asked about the snowman. She hadn't blinked an eye and accepted they would receive no help from their parents.

How could she be so…calm?

"You too," Juliet said.

* * *

><p>Twilight leaned against the glass doors. "It's getting darker," she said quietly. "There's a large, swirling wind above the palace. It's just…moving over us. The sun is just gone."<p>

On the couch, Teresa shivered. "I feel like I'm going to freeze to death. What could Mom and Dad be doing?"

Twilight turned around. "Why do you always depend on Mom and Dad for everything?"

"Well…Mom and Dad have dealt with stuff like this before, right? Mom even went back into the past to get her own mother to help the future. I heard Dad later sought them out to help and be helped. They were a team—that's how they met."

"And, as their children, isn't it our job to learn from them?" Twilight asked. "Someday, it'll be our job to protect Crystal Tokyo in the same way they do. Consider this training. I know it's not formal, but actually _doing_ is the best way to learn pretty much anything."

Teresa's eyes got wide. "Do you…believe that?"

"I…" Twilight stopped. Did she? Why wasn't she as scared as Teresa? She had seen Mom and Dad's empty office with her own eyes. She knew how alone she was, protecting Teresa and Tiffany. Neither of them could throw a punch in a fight. Yet…she invited it. If someone was to threaten them, she'd do anything in her power to protect them. "I think I do."

"You're brave, then," Teresa said sadly. "A lot braver then me…and Dylan…and Juliet. I could _see_ the fear in their eyes."

"I think I am scared," Twilight said quickly. "I'm just not…panicking yet."

"Well, there's no reason to be—"

Cchhhttt-chhttt-tttt.

Wind began to beat against the windows. The snow was no longer a heavy but gently fall, it howled and slammed against the windows and doors. The whole palace rocked. Very little light came in as the darkness became overpowering, making the room almost as black as night.

"Hold onto Tiffany."

"Oh-k-kay," Teresa whimpered.

Twilight watched as the first of the cracks began to spread across the glass. Snapping her star-shaped pendant off her necklace, Twilight felt golden light warm against her finger. The black pendant began to glow with the light, making shadows flicker against the walls as it extended outward, curving into a arch-like blade at one end and then into a long, harder-but-not-as-heavy-as metal rod.

"You're not going to use your scythe, are you?" Teresa squeaked, looking the weapon up and down.

"If I have to, I will." Twilight held the scythe in both hands. Something about it was almost comforting. "Get behind the couch."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Twilight commanded. "Crouch down!"

CHHHHHHH—CRACK!

Teresa let out a squeak, but got up with Tiffany and settled behind the couch as Twilight asked.

_This is bad, _Twilight thought._ What if I can't protect them both? What if I fail? I'll be treated like I did nothing wrong, but I did. Juliet left me in charge of protecting them!_

So protect them, a voice commanded. It's your duty. You're the heir. Lead them, the way you're meant to.

Twilight didn't understand what it meant beside it being her "duty." They were her sisters. If Dylan were here, he'd do the same thing. Juliet wouldn't even give it a second thought. She was the oldest. She always knew what to do.

The glass began to whine. It was a horrible sound, like screaming and screeching at the same time. The crystal exterior outside was taking a beating. Would the whole palace just…shatter?

It didn't.

Instead, a the shadow of a figure appeared on the terrace. As it approached, a purple glow began to fill in the cracks on the glass. It slid back together. Above them, the ceiling began to shift and settle. The wind howled even harder, but nothing seemed to touch the palace.

"Twilight!" a voice called. "Open this door!"

Hotaru. Hotaru?

Twilight ran to unlock the doors, letting a snow-capped Hotaru into the palace. Her long, black hair fell to her shoulders and was unusually white-looking. It covered her violet eyes, making her look a little bit scarier then she was.

"Why is the key still here?" she demanded.

"What?" Twilight asked.

"The key!" Hotaru pointed to the couch. "Why hasn't anyone left to go get us help?"

"I didn't know we were supposed to go," Twilight said.

"What?" Hotaru looked shocked. "I sent a message to your parents! We have something _huge_ out there! What on Earth has Rini been doing?"

Twilight froze. "My parents…are gone."

Now it was Hotaru who stood completely still. The wind whipped angrily at her hair, but she didn't move. She just stared at Twilight as if she hoped she were wrong.

"Rini's…gone?"

Twilight nodded.

"And Helios? What about Helios?"

It hurt her to do so, but Twilight bobbed her head once. They were both gone.

"Where did they go?" Hotaru whispered.

"We…don't know," Teresa got up from behind the house, holding now-awake Tiffany. "They weren't here from the beginning. We thought they were…with you."

Hotaru shook her head. "No. No, they're not."

Twilight felt like she had just received a slap to the face. "So…Juliet, Dylan, and Miki are out there alone, against something my parents couldn't even handle?"

Hotaru looked sick to her stomach. "You let _Juliet_ go outside? With Dylan and Miki, of all people?"

"What's wrong? Is Juliet alright?" Teresa asked.

"She's the Princess! As your mother's first born, it's her duty to inherit Crystal Tokyo when she becomes of age!" Hotaru nearly shouted. "Rini was an only child, but whether her parents had more children or not, the responsibility was still hers!"

_Princess_.

_Inherit_.

Did she mean…Juliet was like an "heir" of some sort?

_You're the heir_.

Twilight clenched her fists. "Are you…sure?"

Hotaru whipped around to face her. "What do you mean, _am I sure_?" she demanded. "That we aren't missing a king, queen, first-born princess, first-born prince, and second-youngest princess? I think I'm pretty freaking sure!"

"No," Twilight shook head head. "That Juliet's…the heir."

"Well, if she's gone, that responsibility falls to Teresa," Hotaru said.

Both girls turned to look at the fragile-looking girl still standing behind the couch. Her blonde hair fell into her powerful blue eyes, making her look terrified and confused.

"I'm…in charge?" Teresa squeaked.

Hotaru sighed. "Yes, you are," she looked angry, though it wasn't at Teresa. She was mad at herself. "Which means, _you'll_ have to take the trip."

Teresa collapsed. She tried to use the couch to break her fall, but it didn't work. The control she once held fell, and she fell to the floor on her knees. Tears streaked down her cheeks and onto Tiffany's cheeks.

"Why is sissy sad?" Tiffany asked.

Twilight felt her throat go thick. This wasn't happening. Teresa was the calm, well-mannered one. Going on a mission alone…she couldn't do that. She didn't even have a proper weapon. The time key was hers, but only because Mom couldn't bare to give her anything else.

"I'll go," Twilight said.

Hotaru flinched. "You realize this revolves around much bigger stakes then just you, right? We're dealing with the reality of Crystal Tokyo as a whole."

Twilight threw her a glare. "You're supposed to be the Sailor Soldier of Mass Destruction or something, right? Is that what makes you so cold? Teresa's not made for this kind of thing. She's like the glue that fixes things, but she can only fix things. She can't save them from getting broken in the first place."

Hotaru pursed her lips. For someone much older then Twilight's mother, it was an ugly move. "Do you really believe you can accomplish this?" she asked. Twilight nodded. Hotaru looked at Teresa. "Then give her the key."

"I…I couldn't!" Teresa stammered. "She's my baby sister!"

Twilight strutted across the floor and yanked the key from around Teresa's neck. "Stay here, protect Tiffany, and don't stop looking for Juliet and the others," she said. "I'll be back soon." She held out her hand, extending the scythe. It sank back into its original shape, a five-pointed black star. "Hold onto this and use it when you can."

Teresa was baffled. "Won't you need it?"

"I'll be fine." Twilight hugged her shoulders. "Just stay safe!"

Hotaru slapped her on the back. "Time to go!"

"Wait—"

Twilight couldn't even speak as she was swept into a whirlwind of pink. The room vanished, along with her sisters and Hotaru. There was a flash of shadow as if someone were there, but that person waved her on…and when she went through a doorway of golden light, her eyes shut automatically. When she opened them again, she was far, far from home.

* * *

><p>"Sub…way?" she read the word in front of her. "What's a…sub-way?"<p>

There was a giggle from above. "You don't know what a subway is?" a childish voice asked. "Well, you're on one."

Twilight looked up. She was in a tunnel-like vehicle with windows, but there was no light except for the ones on the sides. Standing above her was a girl with short, black hair and violet eyes.

"Hotaru?"

The girl looked pleased to hear her name. "You know my name!" she cheered. "Do you know Rini?"

"She's my…mother," Twilight managed.

"Oh, no," a voice from behind Hotaru said.

"Not another one!" another voice complained.

"Why do brats from the future keep showing up everywhere?" asked the first voice.

Twilight's heart sank. "Can…can you help me?"

A woman with sea-colored hair bent down next to Twilight. "Not us," she said softly. "But…I think we know _somebody_ who can."

"W-Who?" Twilight stammered.

"Why, Sailor Moon."

* * *

><p><strong>GOSH THIS TOOK FOREVER! I'M SO GLAD IT'S DONE! I really wanted to do Sailor Moon, it being my first anime and all. So...yeah. Hope you liked!<strong>

**Sincerely Smiling,**

**Jam Jones**


	2. When the World Comes Crashing Down

"Hey, Juliet!" Dylan was shaking her by the shoulders. "Juliet, can you hear me? Come on, Juliet! Wake up! Do something!"

Juliet flexed her limbs. Everything felt bitter and sore. Her fingers stung as she tried to close them into a fist. She bent her elbows into the grit of the gravel and felt the little pieces dig into her skin as she lifted herself up.

"Thank God," Dylan sighed in relief.

Juliet opened her eyes. At first, she didn't understand what her eyes were seeing. Everything was grey, almost like fog, but it stung her lungs and made her eyes water. Through it, she could see broken shapes and tall half-structures.

_Are those…buildings?_

"What happened?" Juliet whispered in shock. "I didn't…there wasn't…how did this…?"

"We were somehow blind," Dylan rubbed a cut on her forehead. "The only one who saw it coming was Miki. She managed to cover us before it was too late."

Juliet's head spun. "Miki?"

Guilt flickered in Dylan's eyes. He motioned behind him. On a slab of rock a few yards away, Miki was sprawled out in an odd, broken position, her blue spade pendant in her bloodied hand.

Juliet's throat got thick and her eyes burned with wet heat. "Is she…she's not…?"

"Don't worry," Dylan gently touched her shoulder. "She's fine. Completely unhurt. The blast took a lot out of her, so she'll be sleeping for at least a few more hours. Other then that, she will have a quick recovery and get back to being the whiney baby we all know and love."

Juliet sighed in relief. "You know, for being the only boy in the group, you're really quite composed."

"Honestly?" he grinned. "I'm following Twilight's example. I don't have a clue what's gotten into her, but she's got the right idea. We have to get a hold of ourselves and react calmly."

Juliet nodded. "She made me feel like a child."

They both stared at each other for a moment and then burst into laughter.

"What are we thinking, letting Twilight show us up?" Dylan asked, smacking his head. "She's just a kid, for Christsake! I feel bad following her example. We all know what she's like. Why would this episode be any different?"

"Maybe because we never knew how brave she really is."

Both Dylan and Juliet looked up. Standing in the rubble was Teresa, her face tear-streaked and her clothes covered in white dust. She began to rush towards them, falling down next to Dylan and wrapping her arms around him.

At that moment, Dylan's face looked as scared as Teresa's did. It was a rare time when their faces looked like the twins they were, even with Teresa's blonde hair and Dylan's brown. His blue eyes twinkled in shock, holding her automatically as she began to sob.

"I couldn't stop her, Dylan," she cried. "I told her not to. But…I don't understand! She seemed to know something I didn't. When Hotaru came, she stole the key and…and…"

There was a clink of metal against metal. Juliet's eyes fell to Teresa's hand, where a black, five-pointed star pendant peeked out. The chain was broken, making it whack against the rubble when the wind blew.

"Twilight's…gone?" Miki whispered.

Teresa released Dylan and turned to look at her. She wiped her eyes, and through her tears, said, "Yes, Twilight left."

"Where did she go?" Miki asked.

"To get help," Juliet said. "That's something any of us would do, if asked. Mom did it before, didn't she? Went into the past to get help? Surely that's what Twilight's doing."

Dylan wasn't so sure. "But…how far back? Could it be…?"

Teresa turned. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Dylan shook his head. "It was a dumb thought. Don't worry about it. Just…where is Tiffany? You said something about Hotaru, too? Where are they?"

"I wanted to find you, but Hotaru wanted to get us to safety," Teresa explained. "So…I let her take Tiffany. She had this idea you all were…you were all…" Tears filled her eyes.

"Hey, hey!" Dylan rubbed up and down her arms. "We're alive! Thanks to Miki's shield, we're fine!"

"Which makes me wonder, how are you?" Juliet pulled Miki's small body into her lap. "Any cuts and bruises? You were really brave, jumping up like that."

Miki smiled. "It's what mama would have done."

An ache played at Juliet's heartstrings. Standing up, she let her long coat droop around her. Miki was so tiny in her arms. Once upon a time, Twilight was this small, too. Now she was out there alone. Who knew what awaited her wherever she ran? They had always been spoiled, growing up in luxury and peace. No one expected this.

That's why the world was so broken. It had fallen to pieces around them without much of a fight.

_It's ash, _her mind told her. Looking up at the sky, her heart realized what her mind was saying. _Not snow. Ash. Our so-called peaceful world is burning around us._

Juliet turned around to face the shattered street in front of them. Not a single thing moved. Miki had protected them…but what about everyone else?

She couldn't have, Juliet realized. It was simply too much.

Crystal Tokyo was now a city of dead. Their parents, Twilight, and the residents, the innocent citizens, were all gone. Wiped out as if they had meant completely nothing. In the end, this was why Hotaru had thought they were dead—because everyone else was.

"We're going to find who did this," she said. Teresa and Dylan, holding hands, looked at her in awe. Miki trembled in her arms. "We're going to find them, and when we do, we're going to make them pay for what they've done."


	3. Fall of Twilight

Six Years Later

"Miki!" Juliet screamed. "We need a shield! NOW!"

Blue light filled the sky. Standing in stance, Miki held her spade pendant between her fingers as it surged out, covering the small army, her brother, and her sisters.

Sparks filled the sky. Blue slammed against a fiery red that destroyed everything. This was their enemy. The battle was just beginning.

Dylan covered Teresa, his green spade pendant turning into a sword and a shield. "You need to get out of here," he told her. "Don't look back, just run."

Teresa was horrified. "How can you tell me that?"

"We can't change what happened to Hotaru and Tiffany," he said. "But in case anything happens to us, you have to go!"

"But I want to help!" she yelled.

His eyes were cold and bare. Once upon a time, Dylan would have comforted her and told her it would all be alright. Now, he seemed further away from her then she had ever felt before. Twins that were no longer in sync.

"You have to hold on to this," he said, his hand falling to the black star pendent she clutched so hard in her palm it left bruises at the points. "In case Twilight comes back, by some miracle, she's going to need this…and it's your responsibility to protect it."

Defeat seemed to lurk in the very soul of his being. This wasn't about just staying alive to him anymore. For the first time, he was planning a second way out.

"This isn't right," Juliet said. "What could have gone wrong?"

Teresa began to cry. "What if Twilight isn't coming back?"

"Then she's better off then the rest of us!" Miki yelled, her fingers pulsing with twice the strength then the three of her older siblings put together. "Stop whining and freaking help me!"

Teresa, Juliet, and Dylan lined up beside her. Watching the sky grow dark, they held up their pendants. Teresa's hand felt wrong around the black pedant, but she held her breath and closed her eyes.

_Now or never, Twilight, _she thought.

But nothing happened. Silence was cast over, and then, in the same style in which Crystal Tokyo had first been attacked, snow fell.

"The moon," Miki said, her eyes unblinking.

The others followed her stare. High above their heads, the moon was beginning to shadow. Not the normal eclipse-style, either. It was being swallowed by the edges. The process was slow at first, but then it started to inkblot the white surface.

Weakness first wavered through Miki's shield. At first, it looked like a reflex. A natural, shaken response to see the moon shadowed—but then, it began to tear and crack. Miki bowed down under the pressure, screaming for Juliet.

But Juliet couldn't move. Chills ran up and down her body, sending her into a comatose state. She first fell to her knees and then to the ground, unconscious.

Teresa and Dylan reached for each other, but their hands never met. Teresa was blown sideways into a wall. Dylan tried to resist, but he was lifted off his feet and thrown upward. When he landed, he lay broken and unnatural.

Four of them had stood, and four of them had fallen.

"Silly children," a black-haired figure stood above them. "Even if you stand together, if you stand divided, you might as well be divided. Teamwork isn't in the appearance—it's in the dependence and strength you put in one another."

Kneeling down, she touched Juliet's face. "You, silly girl, were the first to fall because you felt the weakest. What kind of guarding older sister are you? Simply letting your sister stand there, alone." She turned to see Miki, still in pain, but holding the shielding just fine. "That girl's braver then the other six of you put together."

But Miki did fall. Exhaustion got the better of her. For as long as she could, she held the barrier high—but then the world came crashing down. Six years of holding strong after that first attack caught up.

Like the others, she fell to the ground.

"And now we wait," the black-haired figure said. "I believe your older sister will be back soon. What was her name again? Twilight…wasn't it? A strange name for a girl."

* * *

><p><strong>Please don't review :) I hate this story!<strong>


	4. Reborn in Artificial Lights

Eluni - (E-lou-nI)

Lune - (loon)

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><p>The sky was dark like ink. Spiraling clouds surrounded the Crystal Palace, the last light in the sky. For miles around, the ruined landscapes looked towards it for guidance to some sort of salvation.<p>

When they arrived, however, they received no such salvation.

Earth itself had been thrown into a backwards doomsday that repeated itself with every faded sunrise and then was thrown into a complete doom every night at dusk when the sky went dark, sending the surrounding cities in complete and total darkness.

Their entire civilization had become light-powered. With no sun, there was no way to counter what they had become. Hope seemed so far away. How could they fight something they couldn't even see?

People died by the thousands. Every day, bodies were taken into the streets to show the other residents who had perished. Some older citizens wandered among the dead, searching for friends or acquaintances, praying over them and crying for their loss because no one else could find the strength to. Sometimes, they bowed beside complete strangers and encouraged them to move on, that there was a better place, full of light and love, and if they sought it out, it would accept them.

Death was such a common thing for the civilization who had once never dealt with true loss. They had become spoiled in their own so-called peace. Children fought amongst themselves; adults took sides, some swearing their complete and total faith in God while others claimed he had betrayed them; and the families became clumped together.

Not a single child had been born since the start of the end. No one was looking for love anymore. Now, family depended on family until the second to last member lay dying. And then, that last member, out of options, would go out into the darkness looking for answer and would never return.

Winter came. The end looked near. People went out into the streets and cried out, "Why have you done this to us? We are your servants! No one has protested your rule, no one has rebelled, and no one has the strength to withstand you now. Why do you not show us mercy?"

After the long winter, the truth came to their ears.

A city of light had been reborn within the Crystal City. Born from the ashes, the invaders had made it their home, providing homes for the homeless and medicine for the sick—all they asked was a written consent of servitude for their utopia.

Driven by such promises, they entered the city in flocks. Warm faces greeted them. The habitants, clean and healthy, greeted them with blankets and clothes, taking them into their homes. They offered them food from their tables and gave them places to sleep. Once they were cleaned and freshly clothed, they gave them jobs.

Hypnotized by their own greed to survive, not one of them rebelled. They were the puppets of their new masters. A new era had begun for the inhabitants of Earth—led by the Eluni, the people of the Light, they fell into place with the new order in the City of Lune.

But inside the City of Lune, there was still good. Born by parents of her but raised by copies, there was one child living a different life from the rest—and she saw her duty before her.

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><p>Helois stared at Rini in complete and total disbelief.<p>

"You want to leave _again_?" he screeched.

Rini sat in her long, navy blue gown and picked at her pearl bracelet. Puckering her lip, she tried to look unfazed by his outburst from her idea. A while back, he had agreed to this plan without fail.

"Didn't you learn anything from last time, Rini?" Heloise went on. "Last time we left, your best friend died and our youngest daughter died! Our middle daughter was trapped in the past and the rest of our children are imprisoned within the Eluni's prisons! We're lucky if they're not dead!"

Rini's bracelet snapped against her wrist as she tugged too hard. Pain rippled up her arm, but she ignored it. Glancing up at Heloise, she said, "I got us into the City, didn't I?"

"You killed Allean's parents and replaced them with us," Helois said. "We aren't her parents! I don't understand how she even agreed to this!"

"The Eluni killed her older brother," Rini said. "He was her only friend. While her parents turned a blind eye, Allean was consumed by rage. When I offered her revenge, a way to save our race, she took it."

Baffled, he backed away. This wasn't his Rini. Time had consumed her innocence and ocean of passion. She was dead, just like her world. At one time, she had protected it with her whole heart. Now, she had petty tricks and schemes of parasitism.

"Corrupting one girl won't save millions," he pleaded.

"I'm injecting poison in the youth." Rini said without meeting his eyes. "They will follow Allean. She's the future to this world. We can't fight them. They're too strong. I would need Juliet, Dylan, Teresa, Twilight, Miki, and Tiffany beside me to be some sort of threat. That's never going to happen." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "My children have paid the price for naïve thoughts. Never again shall we stand whole. Instead, I will kill the bastards who stole my baby."

Rising to her feet, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Long brown hair, her same eyes, but the hair of Allean; the appearance of Allean's mother suited her, but the eyes were something she could never hide.

Turning around, Helois was the same. His eyes matched Allean's, but his once-blond hair had been turned dark, hiding his appearance. They were the same people they had always been to their neighbors.

"We're living a lie," he said. "Not only the lie of the Days, but of our own marriage. You know, I plan to leave you."

No pain touched Rini's heart. Instead, she was numb to the death and despair. "Leaving" was not the same as it had once been. Instead of divorcing her, he was leaving her to fend for herself. To him, her plan was insane. A will of her bitter hatred for the world she had once loved and cherished.

"I will destroy the home of these monsters with or without your help," she spat. "Leave if you want, my darling. I don't need you anymore."

Hugging herself, she looked from Helois to the window. Outside, Eluni people crowded the streets, their Crystal Tokyo slaves tagging obediently behind. The Eluni people have given them the name "Tokens" after they had stopped coming. Now they were just property, not people. No better than livestock used for common household chores.

"What do you see when you look out that window?" Helois asked.

"I see Eluni," she said.

Helois shook his head. "Do you know what I see?" Walking over to the window, he pointed. "I see Eluni children being watched by Tokens. I see Eluni women accompanied by Tokens, protecting and serving them. I see Token women doing what they're told without a care. It's wrong. It's not the world we had."

Rini reeled around to meet his eyes. They locked.

"We no longer have a world."

He lowered his face to hers. "Do you wish to abandon them?"

"They gave themselves to the enemy," she said. "Not my children, not for a moment. They never gave in to tyranny."

"Not all of them did, Rini," whispered Helois. "Out there, in the dark, our people still live, waiting and praying for our return. We need to help those people before we help them."

Rini's eyes narrowed. "By 'them' do you mean _them_?" she pointed to the people. "Or do you mean we abandon our own children all over again?"

"Our children are safe, Rini," he said.

Rini held her hands up. "No more, Helois. I can't take any more."

"You must be reasonable!" he shouted.

"NO!" She roared. "I will never, ever abandon my children again! No matter how many people have to die, I will not rest until I have my babies in my arms again, safe and sound!"

Helois backed away from her. His eyes bore into her. Rini looked cold. She stood motionless, her body poise and graceful as it had always been, but now it didn't move or breathe. She looked dead. Lips tight, lines of an old, grieving woman visible, she scowled at him.

"They aren't babies anymore, Rini," he whispered. "When we left them, they were children. By the time we came back, they were adults. What makes you think they'll even want you back?"

Anger flashed in her eyes. "I am their _mother_, Helois."

"You hated your mother once, didn't you?" he asked. "Once upon a time, you thought she betrayed you."

"I was wrong!" Rini defended. "I'll show them they're wrong!"

Helois sighed. "That's the thing, isn't it, Rini? Your mother was wasn't evil or mistreating. She never left you. In fact, she came after you with her whole heart. But you…" he felt the words, but his heart felt so closed. "You left them here, alone, to die. There is no explanation you can make up for that."

She snapped. He saw it in her eyes. Raising her arm, she whispered, "Out."

He obeyed. Without looking back, he entered the City of Lune's beautiful streets and disappeared into the crowds of people.

Satisfied, Rini retreated to her maroon colored armchair and took her seat. Poise and perfect, she waited. After an hour, the door opened.

"Mother?" Allean called in. "I'm home."

Rini felt venom in her heart, calling sweetly, "In here, dear. I was thinking about making some tea."

"How wonderful," chirped Allean. "I'm so glad you waited for me."

_You dirty, dirty child, _Rini thought._ I am not your mother, I am your Queen. One day, you will be ready to do as you are told—and once you do, I shall show you your place in my kingdom—dead, buried in a large, open pit with the rest of your disgusting Eluni people._

Allean looked around. "Where's Father?"

A smile tweaked at Rini's lips. "He decided to visit the Dark Cities, my dear. I'm afraid from here on out, it's just you and me."

Allean looked mildly surprised. "Then it's just you and me from now on? This is all really happening so fast?"

"Rejoice, my dear," Rini said. "The time is coming to end this dreadful war—revenge will be swift, the intruders will have fled, and I will be left to my home to rebuild what was lost."

"Will I be able to live near you?" Allean asked. "I know you're going to find your children, but…since I have no family and no desire to leave, I wonder…maybe I could join your Guard?"

"Anything's possible," agreed Rini.

Inside, she couldn't help but imagine Allean as dead as the rest of them.

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><p><strong>Let the shit happen :)<strong>


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